Fire and Water
by Umasi
Summary: Ace has to be observed by an outsider to his crew, called Coral. Along they way, they run into Luffy and all sorts of things ensue. Rated T for later Violence and swearing
1. Chapter 1: Coral

Woo Fanfic XD Enjoy! reviews would be loved :D

Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Oda, Coral is mine.

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**Chapter 1: Coral **

Ace was particularly stunned. Once again, he was being observed by an outsider to whitebeards ship, but it was on whitebeards command. He looked back at the young woman. She had long, stunning crimson red hair, that reached to her lower back, although it was shiny, it was quite rough and wasn't very neatly brushed. Her eyes would be large, if she had them fully open, however she had them at a casually tired level and smiled happily watching her surroundings, Ace knew if he got in a fight, she would only notice once he'd lost. She didn't wear the most feminine clothes either. Baggy trousers and an open shirt revealing her bandaged back breasts. He had to admit, he definitely thought that she used them as a distraction in a fight. However many times she told him it was because they got in the way. Also, she was called coral, apparently, and Ace wasn't really sure if that name fitted her particularly well.

"Ace!" Came a fairly familiar voice from above. He looked up, but checked back. She was gone and he didn't know where. He saw his brother, dangling over the edge of a building and waving his arms frantically. Luffy fell off of the building and landed on some ones stall, the stall owner, hit him hard around the head, didn't bother Luffy too much.

"Heya bro!" Ace said. walking up to his brother and greeting him. "Where's you crew?" He asked.

"Getting supplies. We've got an awesome new ship now, and my crew's bigger." He said, gleaming with joy.

"So I've heard, a pretty large bounty too. Eh? 300 million berries was it?" He watched his brother laugh.

"Yup!" Luffy replied cheerfully "So...Are you _still _ stronger than me?" He asked, very happily, it was obvious Luffy thought he might finally have gotten stronger than his brother.

The pair walked into a deserted alley on a fairly deserted street. And began to fight, Ace had the upper hand from the very beginning.

Not too far away. Coral walked casually down the street, getting many glances in her chest region from passing men. She stretched her arms and crossed them behind her head before walking on a yawning. She bumped into someone. "Oops, sorry" She said. She glanced up. She was staring at a young man, with blonde hair, and who t her surprise, had hearts in his eyes. His curly eyebrow made her fall over laughing. She stopped laughing very abruptly ad picked up the produce he'd dropped. "Doubt this is safe to eat anymore." She said. Casually handing him a bag full of once clean produce.

"You're a lovely lady aren't you." He said.

"Not really." She smiled. "Who said I was a lady?" She asked, playing an attempt at messing with his mind. "I Could just be a drag queen, Don't you think I am a little bit, abnormal, so to say. For a women in this climate at the least." They where on a spring island. The place was mild in temperature, but probably didn't warrant her wearing the garments that she was.

"I'm pretty sure you're a lady. You're beautiful" He said. Almost floating.

She raised her eyebrow and smiled. "I can't be sarcastic or mildly serious for that long. Who're you then?" With these words, the man had begun to be fairly overdramatic and was kneeling on the foor with his head down. Mumbling something which she couldn't make out. "What's up?" She asked squatting next to him.

He pouted and looked at her. "I'm sanji and I have a 77 million bounty on my head. but they didn't get a picture of me so its just a shitty drawing." He said. She laughed.

"I've seen that. It's strange." This only furthered his overdramatic depression. She laughed again. "I mean that in the way the artist drew you was shit." She said. Trying to stop Sanji making a scene. He looked up suddenly and stared at her before backing away.

"C-Coral? Coral the sea mistress. The freelance pirate?" He asked. He was stammering on every word.

"That's me. What's up with it?" She asked she'd tilted her head slightly and was still smiling.

"Coral the sea mistress. Was rumoured, where I come from, to be the strongest female pirate _ever._" He said. " A girl covered in scratches and scars from a bad youth. Who looked remotely like a patchwork doll. With bright red hair and the rumoured daughter of..."

"Oh who?" She asked grinning. She was stunned her reputation had gotten so far, she'd guessed he wasn't from the grand line.

"Shanks the red hair." The man said. Sanji was pale in the face and didn't look at her in the eye. "You're rumoured to be the devil of the sea."

"A pirate's scared of me?" She said raising an eyebrow.

"You've got a 1000, million berrie bounty. Who the hell wouldn't be terrified?!" He said. he'd backed away into a wall by now.

"Anyone sane." She smiled. "Don't believe the stuff the marines feed everyone. They just spread crap." this didn't really make him feel much better. "You're under the captain monkey. D. Luffy? Right?" She asked.

"Yes." He said. He had to debate on if he should or shouldn't say it at first.

"I'm travelling with his older brother. Portgas D. Ace." She said. "Nice man Ace. Likes Orange. Possibly a little queer, what do you think?" She asked. Sanji calmed down suddenly. her last comment made her sound so human it was funny, then it hit him. She was human, that was for definite. he laughed.

"I doubt that some how."

back where Ace and Luffy where, the fight had finished. It only took ace a few punches ad kicks and a fire punch and Luffy, although he still wanted to fight. was pretty damn battered.

"Nice one bro. You're Still stronger." Luffy wheezed slightly. Although it had only taken a few shots, it had taken a while to get them to hit Luffy properly.

"Heh, You're not too shabby Luffy. Hope you haven't been causing _too_ much trouble for your crew" Ace said, lending his brother a hand to get him up. "So Can I see this new ship of yours?"

"Sure!" Luffy beamed, dragging Ace across the street, the two talked the entire time.

"So, the new members, who are they?"

"Well ones called Nico robin. she's really calm. he others Franky. He designed our boat and made it, pretty much" Luffy dragged ace into a cove and showed him the boat. "Ta da!" Luffy exclaimed. "Hope Sanji's back, I'm hungry!" Luffy declared jumping onto the boat, closely followed by Ace.

Aces' mouth dropped when he saw Coral fighting Sanji, Zoro, Nami, Chopper and Even Franky at the same time."

"You're Luffy right?" She asked. Still warding them of while casually talking. "Oh hey Ace, don't worry, its only practice fighting." She said.

"What?" Ace said. "You really shouldn't be doing that" he said, sounding as if he was scolding her.

"Doing what?" She mused. "I'm only kidding around" She looked down to see them all gasping for air on the floor. Nico Robin appeared out of cabin and blinked.

"CORAL?!" She yelled. Coral gave a massive, Luffy like grin before speaking.

"Hey again."


	2. Chapter 2: Hat Fight

TrunksgirlBlaze27-Updating :DThanks For reviewing! Glad you like the beginning :D

And it continues :D

Disclaimer: One Piece Belongs to Oda, Although Coral Is mine. XD

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**Chapter 2: Hat Fight**

Everyone stood perplexed. Robin had gone up, to a very dangerous woman, and just started talking to her like they where best of friends. Ace stood up and raised his eyebrow. "Coral? You know Nico Robin?" He asked, slightly sheepishly.

"Yup!" She replied smiling. She was very happy, that was for sure. "Robin was a friend of mine a long time ago, for a good while. Then we had to leave because where we were was targeted by the marines and we had to get out while the building was on fire." Luffy tilted his head.

"MEAT!" He yelled running for the kitchen, only to have Sanji running after him.

"Does that happen often?" Coral said, smiling more than ever.

"Yes. Luffy Loves meat" The Orange haired girl, called Nami said. "So you're the infamous Coral. The only woman who'll get _real_ respect as a fighter" Coral laughed.

"heh, try telling that to the men _before_ I fight with them. So long as I win. otherwise, they don't have to give me respect as a fighter really" Coral said, tilting her head from side to side, she looked out at the midday sun. "So You're part of Luffy's crew?" She asked Robin and Nami at the same time.

"Yes" They both replied.

"He's pretty crazy for a captain." Nami said.

"Although he's fun" Robin added "He never really looks down on anyone."

"That's good. Bit like his brother then. Although I'm guessing his brothers slightly more polite and well spoken." She said, she was smiling quite contently.

"Yeah, well he was when we met him in Alabaster" Nami said.

"I wondered where he went when I was gambling..." She said, then smiled sheepishly as she received blank stares. "Okay, wasn't meant to say that."

"You where _gambling_" Ace asked accusingly. Walking over to the group of three and raising an eyebrow at his highly smiley companion. She smiled from ear to ear sheepishly, although Ace didn't seem to notice her twitching. "Actually, not surprised somehow" He said. There was a large clash in the kitchen ad Luffy and Sanji where fighting. What was the most amusing was the objects they where using. Frying pans and ladles, great weapons. Outside teh group was laughing at the scene.

"Luffy! Give me that damned meat back and I'll cook it!" The cook yelled at Luffy as he ran past, arms full of sausages and steak. The door of the kitchen creaked open just as Luffy was about to run out the door with all the meat. Outside, stood Coral and Ace, who where both trying not to laugh, but managed to stop Luffy in his tracks just by looking at him.

"Let me past Ace!" Luffy demanded, this just made it even more funny as they held back the laughter. Luffy, a pirate captain with a hefty bounty on him, waving his fists around like a toddler in a tantrum was very funny indeed.

"Look Luffy. Leave the perverted Chef alone. Alright?" Coral said, as if it was the daily routine for her. Although she'd only met them all half an hour ago.

"Meat! hungry!" Coral laughed and picked up Luffy. Who in turn tried to gomu gomu himself away and failed miserably. There was a smirk on her face as she pulled Luffy to the side of the boat and dropped backwards into the water.

"Now Luffy." She said. "Hold On." Everyone waited, at the surface, they where rather alarmed by the situation. Well, all of them except Ace who just sat there with a rather amused smile across his face, knowing what would happen next. He saw bubbles under the water and Luffy spring out of the water with a drenched Coral in tow.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" Luffy exclaimed. "How the heck did you do that? I mean, I was able to. What?" Luffy had even confused himself. Coral just smiled and she took of her shirt and shoot it out. before hanging it over Ace's hat. Ace gave her an evil glare out of the side of his eye as he removed it and slung it on the banister.

"Coral's got a weird body composition. Did all the water move away from you when you where underwater?" Ace asked. Knowing that it most probably did because that was what she did on the numerous accounts she'd had to save him after he'd fallen asleep and toppled into the sea, usually during a fight. Which was never a good thing.

"Yeah, everything was swimming above me, but I wasn't weak at all!" Luffy was happy as ever, and maybe even confused, Sanji shook his head and wandered into the kitchen to finish preparing the meat. After a moment, he was jumping around with a wet flannel yelling 'Shit!' because he'd set the oven on fire during the commotion.

"That's what I do. I control water." Coral said, very happily. "Although, problem is, If I sit in water too long I pass out, and unless I'm saved, I'll die." She said smirking with a Luffy like resemblance which made Ace wonder if he was actually attracted to Luffy's long lost, 2 years older, twin. However he soon re-established she wasn't. This was due to the fact she was intensely brainy. "specifically salt water" She explained to Luffy who just gave her a blank stare. Coral laughed at the response and smiled. "Ah well, don't worry about the details, I just control water k? now go harass the chef for meat" just as she said it Luffy piped up once again.

"MEAT!" he screamed and ran for the kitchen. Ace walked over and stood next to coral, he'd picked up her shirt and was holding it.

"here!" he yelled smacking her in the face with it. She glanced in his direction. Ace just stood there and she laughed. Soon the two where fighting with each other using a shirt. Which was highly amusing for the rest of the crew, except Zoro who was yelling at them to shut the hell up. Robin was serving as referee as Coral repeatedly creamed Ace. Luffy watched from the kitchen. Gob smacked at the fact someone was so easily stronger than his brother.

A little while later, and Ace was laying on the floor, Panting heavily, while Coral sat on him like he was her pillow or something. "he, he, he. Beat you again Ace." She said smiling, at the panting Ace. She picked up his hat, which had fallen off during the fighting and put it on. "Woo! hat!" She said, smiling before getting up. Ace launched out and grabbed her leg in a rugby type manner which just made her laugh because she rolled over and he let go as a reflex. She stood up "Aww, Can I wear the hat? Please? Please? "She said, fake pouting.

"Whatever." He said, getting up slightly annoyed about the hat. She laughed. Regardless of what she said. She liked sparring with Ace.

Later that night, Ace brought his boat to his brothers ship and hooked it up by the side. He smiled a little as he jumped back up onto the boat, only to see coral on the other side of the boat, with a very few too many empty bottles of all kinds of alcohol surrounding her. He assumed she was drunk when he walked up behind her. This was a fatal mistake.

Coral heard the footsteps behind her and saw out of the corer of her eye as she turned her head a little who it was. She jumped backwards, holding onto eh hat with one hand and using her other to wave and landed on the other side of the boat on the railings. "Sorry Ace, not drunk yet!" She said smiling. "Come back in a few days and I might be more jolly" She said smirking as she flopped down onto the deck.

"I doubt it, you're a heavyweight, completely and utterly." he said. "You remind me of whitebeard, only you're not as big as he is, you can clear a large fully stocked pub out in 2 hours and then go on to the next one without a care in the world" Her face brightened. it was one thing to be reminded that she was sometimes like a very famous, very strong pirate, and another to be reminded of the amount of alcohol she could handle. In her opinion, the more the better, it was a little bit like cola to her.

"Hey! Foods Ready!" Nami called out of the cabin adn the two walked in.

"How much Of the booze did you actually drink?" Zoro asked. Coral grinned guiltily.

"Oh just a bit, Don't worry, I got Ace to bring more. I'll go get it." She said. However she hadn't, so she flopped off of the deck, and into the sea. She swam quickly to the shore and ran into town in hope of finding a close by pub.

"You didn't actually did you?" He asked, looking rather displeased. He wanted Rum. Or any alcohol, it would do.

"No, sorry about that, although she'll probably bring back a pubs supply with her." Ace said, sitting down at the table next to his brother. Who was already eating as if he'd been on a food strike for a year. "She should be back soon though, don't worry you'll get your drink." He said. Stuffing food down his face.

"I'm not so sure." Robin piped up. "Coral's very open about her actions, and she's also very wanted. I'll go and make sure she's okay." Robin said, walking to the side of the boat and jumping down gracefully. The others watched out of the window before tucking into some food.

Robin walked as normally as she could, ignoring the eerie feeling in the air as she walked over the mound to see Coral, and someone else, she moved forward slightly and stopped dead in her tracks


	3. Chapter 3:An Unlikely Friendship

Hope this chapter isn't as confusing :D

Disclaime-One piece belongs to Oda Coral is mine. **  
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**Chapter 3: An Unlikely Friendship**

Robin was Shock horror stunned. In front of her, a marine, but not just any marine, Aokiji. The very marine that she had watched kill her friend a good 20 years ago. Only recently, had he set her up, however the outcome from that was that he was to leave her alone as long as they never met again. Robin didn't know what to do. She dropped behind the hill and sat, she hid herself as much as she could and began to listen to their conversation.

"What's up?" Coral asked. "It's not like you come and say hi on a regular basis exactly." She said. Coral rocked from side to side watching the sleepy looking man stare at her. He was 9 foot tall after all, and she was just under 6".

"I need to speak to you about your current travelling pattern. you're putting yourself in very _serious_ danger. There a lot of people out to get you, and I am talking about more than the average, and to most people that would be a massive number." Aokiji said, calm, although, he did sound slightly worried.

"Look, It doesn't matter, I'll go swimming a lot of them have Devil Fruit powers after all. And if they don't I'm fucked." She said. She didn't really have much of an answer to what he said, best thing she really could say was that she'd try and keep out of trouble, all be it in her unique way.

"Look, you can't move with Ace. You can't move so openly. People will put two and two together. Would you want whitebeard to find out something like that?" Aokiji snapped at her. Robin was actually highly shocked, it was as if Aokiji was a close friend of hers and was looking out for her. From what she was looking at, Robin got the impression Coral was _actually_ close friends with him. Although, she didn't really get how something like that could happen. "You put yourself in too much danger. If you get caught by the marines again, I don't think you'll be going to impel Down"

The news made Robins Jaw drop and she lost her grip, making quite a noise as she slid down the side of the hill. She scraped her back and ruined her shirt but that was the least of her worries because Aokiji had heard the noise. "What was that?" He asked Coral who just looked over at the hill, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh it was just probably a cat or something!" Coral said increasingly loudly as if a signal for whoever it was down there to get the hell out of there. Robin held her mouth and scuttled into a cove.

Coral ran over to the ledge first and looked to see if any of her newly found friends, where hiding anywhere at the bottom. She was sure, that even though Aokiji slept most of the time, he would definitely see them. She noticed they weren't there and Aokiji walked up behind her. "No-one down there." Coral said. Aokiji glanced at her, he was definitely suspicious of her. The one problem was he could never tell if anything was wrong with her because she just kept her expression almost apathetically similar and would keep the same composure. She was like that in a fight as well.

"I believe you. As I can't see anyone." He said. "I'll have to leave soon. They might notice my absence, and as it's this late at night, they will be most definitely suspicious." He said, he smiled a little. "You're like a little sister to me, I can't actually believe what the marines did to you,." He said, sitting on the side of the hill. This would have given Robin the chance to make a break for the ship and probably succeed, but she didn't want to. She wanted to hear this.

"hmm, You're like a 9" tall big brother. I have no decent family after all" She said in a rather hollow manner. He knew that the only emotions she ever seemed to show where sadness, normality, and happiness. Which made her rather emotionless in some cases.

"You have one guy. Your father." He said. "Although, it probably wouldn't do you any good to get tied up in red haired shanks business, your bounty already top of the tables along with him and whitebeard. As you're already in conjunction with whitebeard, adding to that will probably scare the shit out of everyone around you. And the government." HE said. Corals eyes where most certainly distant with the comment.

"I know." She said, regaining her usual composure and smiling. "I just think it might be nice, to maybe be part of a crew, but no crew will take more for fear of me taking over, or destroying them all, and no crew really wants me either, they say it'd just be too easy if i was with them. I wouldn't join the marines either. Bastards. No offence meant." She said, her smile was still there but it was a cold smile, with the emotion of hate behind it.

"You'll find a crew, and you can be sure, it probably wont matter which one, you'll always have an alliance with Whitebeard. Mind you, I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing" Aokiji almost laughed. "Anyways, I have to advise you, keep a low profile, keep your distance from Ace, Join a crew, Just don't get your head lopped off." He said, walking down the hill. Coral was still standing up as he begun to walk. She sat down again.

"Aokiji. I don't care if I get my head lopped off. I've been through so much it won't bother me. It'll just be another blow to me and at least I'll have lived a little." Had any of Luffy's crew heard these words, they would realise just how similar Coral was to their captain. "But i wouldn't go out without a fight. What's the point in just putting your hands in the hair, dropping your daggers and saying 'I give up' or 'I surrender?" She asked him as he froze a small section of water.

"There isn't a point. In your case, you'll go down fighting and smiling. You don't want to go out weeping and weak." He said. "Bye. Remember what I said!" He said and set off out to sea. She watched him go far as the horizon and debated on the sea swallowing him up. Just to see how he reacted to it, but wasn't too comfortable risking it.

"Coral?" Robin said sheepishly. Coming out of cove. "What's all that bout?!" Robin looked completely white in the face and the blue light of the moon gave her a vampire like glow. Coral smiled.

"Nothing much. Can you help me get the booze? The guy at the bar over there said I could take some of his barrels and a few crates" She said, pointing to the rather annoyed looking guy who was now pacing at the top of the hill.

"Okay. But you'll explain to me later? Please?" Robin asked. Coral nodded and gestured towards the guy that she was coming. The two climbed up the hill and a few moments later, they where dragging the barrels and crates down while thanking the man. It was times like these, Robin was glad she had the powers that she did.

"Done." Coral said. "Thanks so much Robin!" She said. Robin was on board the ship and walked into the cabin.

"Ace, can I talk to you a moment? And you guys, your alcohol is on the deck" She said, although, she didn't expect a mad rush as Zoro had fallen asleep waiting.

"Sure" Ace said, sitting up. And walking out of the door along side Robin. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked.

"Coral. I just saw her talking to...to." She paused for a moment. "Aokiji" She stuttered as she said the word, it was like the word choked her.

"That's odd." Ace said. Pondering. "Actually, no it's not. She has a lot of friendships with powerful, and I mean _very_ powerful men." he said, smirking. "What's up? It doesn't look like I've answered your question." Robin still looked pretty down and Ace was pretty confused as to why.

"It's just. Why would she have an almost brotherly friendship with a very powerful marine!" Robin exclaimed.

"I'm down here you know!" Came Corals voice from the ground where she was sitting. "If you want to talk about it so bad Robin, just come and talk to me about it. I'll be happy too. It's just...A little odd, to say the least" She said, coral laid back into the sandy hill and smiled, she liked looking up at the moon, especially when there wasn't too much light.

A few moments later and Ace and Robin where towering over her with raised eyebrows. "Spill it then." Ace said. "You've travelled with me for a couple of years and never once mentioned your past. Spill" He said she grinned sheepishly.

"It's not good, not good at all. But I'll tell you, as I said I would." She said, "Hope its not too odd for you."


	4. Chapter 4: A past Never Told

Longer Chapter :D Two chapters in one day :D woo, XD Enjoy :D

Disclaimer-One piece belongs to Oda, Coral is mine :D**  
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**Chapter 4: A past never told**

(changed to 1st person)

I was born on an island that isn't far from Raftel and is surrounded by gorgeous sea animals. However the island itself is a death trap. Poisons and potions. Devil fruits and knives. You name it, it was probably there. I originally had a twin brother. But he was tortured t death at the age of 2 while I had to watch. That really sickened me. I might have only been young, but in my own mind I wasn't. I couldn't stand the island, I was always the outcast or the weird one.

"Come back here you dirty little bitch" Yelled what was supposed to be my mother. I'd been fighting in the village because the older girls started on me. Kicking me and punching me. I retaliated. As we where near the beach, I made the waves save me. I was absolutely battered, I was only 4 then. It soon became the daily routine. And when my mother found me, well, It hurt beyond belief. she'd punch me, kick me, torch me, freeze me. Anything. And it hurt. It hurt like hell. or maybe even worse.

I'd begun to get incredibly fed up, with the stupid routine. It was killing me, quite literally, hard to still smile, at times it was hard to even breathe. Most of the time, I'd sleep on the shores as far away as possible until i made the decision that was going to decide my life for me, even if I didn't know it at the time. The decision I was going to make on my sixth birthday was going to change everything forever.

When i turned six, i was practically starving, most of the fruit on the parts of the island I hid where poisoned or Devil and every day i decided it would be better to starve to death then be beaten to it by my own family. I couldn't stand it, so i walked into the village and got rapidly kicked hard in the head. Out of the trees came the older girls from the village, i didn't really care. What more could they do to me than what they had already done? Than what everyone had already done? I thought. I was very wrong in thinking so. If i thought the beatings hurt before, I was about to realise, they where about to have more than just a hellish nip to them.

"Stupid Bitch!" One yelled at me and threw a rocks at me, i used a nearby log to deflect it.

"Fuck yourself! You dirty cow! I can't believe you! Skin of such a disastrous man!" Thing was these insults didn't even smite. Who was my father anyway? I'd think. I knew, he'd have to be better than my drunk, slutty mother. But I couldn't care less at this point all i could do was continue to smile. However, how I wished they'd all just leave me alone. I just wanted peace. I wanted to have my freedom back. Not that i had any to begin with.

The insults slowly got more and more personal, the language increased as their _large_ vocabulary decreased. I just thought about how stupid the whole sham was. The man eaters. use them and kill them. Where pretty much the values of the assassins of the village. I wished that one day, the government would come up with such a strong female that opposed them, they would have to use the man eaters to dispose of them, and how badly the man eaters would fall.

As i walked into the village I looked up. The brands. The Fruit. The Fire. The Ropes. The names. The Grave. they gathered around their evil, maniac smiles as they saw me fighting without looking as I walked in and stopped dead. The girls hadn't put one hit on a 6 year old. They had to be pretty pathetic, I thought.

"Hello, My dear, you have no name. Let us brand you one." They asked me, as the leader of everyone stood above a platform high above the flames, looking down on me like she was some sort of **God. **It sickened me like hell. There was no God, the Same as their was no devil. And if there was a god and a devil than they where in everyone and that made us all human. If you could look at it that way.

"You can shove it" I said. "Don't worry. I've grown up a lot. What's the consequence of me not being branded and promising to stay here forever?" Although I already knew the fatal mistake i'd made, i didn't care, they'd scarred and branded me enough, I'd forgotten how to shed tears and I'd forgotten, I'd almost forgotten what the feeling of love was. But I couldn't care less. they weren't going to get me/ at least not if I could help it. I knew I'd been surrounded. But their was always a weak spot in everyone and everything.

"You Die. You stupid , smutty little brat" One of the woman spat as she launched at me. I just backed off to the side.

"Not kidding, but don't you think I might have gotten a little bit used to being viciously attacked? Being half dead/ Not much of a punishment, you've tried to kill me enough. But you wouldn't be doing anyone a favour. killing me would you."

"You're well spoken for a brat." Came a voice from the back of the crowd. The crowd parted and a middle aged, tall, curvaceous woman walked through the gap, clad in leather and chains. With long Black hair that was straight as a needle and hit the floor as she walked, she was a vision of one who had fallen from grace. Everyone looked absolutely terrified from her appearance. her voice had a cold and sinister ring to it. With a Dracula like hint. Everyone looked as if they where about to turn and run. "You're talking to the black widow now. you ungrateful little kid. Talk to us, like we're adults, and you're a child, and we might not hurt you. you've caused us enough trouble already and the government calling for you to swear loyalty or we're going to make you suffer."

"What so people like you are the governments secret? What if I escaped, what if i let it slip, what would happen then?" Before I could see her, i felt a hard, smack across my face, hard enough to rip through my skin and knock me backwards through the wall. She followed, although, everyone crowded behind her, forgetting their formation.

"Or you feel that more than once. You're Red haired Shanks daughter. Just for your information." She snarled, grabbing me by my collar, which was dirty as I could only wash in the sea. I felt like grinned as she threw me to the floor. Although, i think i let my plan slip a little as i started to scuttle away. "scared? Finally, now, death or that?" She said.

"I choose neither." I didn't know if she saw it coming or not, but I'd slammed my hands into the sand and thrown it up into her eyes and I was off on my heels and running fast as I possibly could through the forest. They where very close and where within arms reach. Chasing me. I ran for it. The sea. the one place they couldn't go. i jumped in before they could reach their boats and was long gone. Deep under the sea. They could never dive down there. They'd made sure of that by eating devil fruits.

Back on the beach, the woman had walked out and close to the sea. Seeing my escape. "We see that little bitch again. And we're skinning her. Got it? her father is Red haired Shanks and I think she may well be becoming quite the powerful pirate, and we will be her killers." With that they walked back onto the beach and where well into the trees before I resurfaced a couple of miles out to sea.

The thing was, the worst thing about that, wasn't the threats, wasn't the fact that my face was bleeding intensely and the fact that all my old wounds had been ripped open without me knowing. But the fact that they really only wanted me their on order. That I was quite the mistake and apparently a bitch. I got the feeling though, that even if they had branded me, I wouldn't have lived very long after it. The village was brought up to hate me after all.

I swam to a nearby island, it was definitely old because a warning was written in the old language. However, under further investigation, I realised that there must have been something wrong with the air as a lot of people appeared to have dropped down dead on the shore.

After a while, there was a routine. i was a vegetarian. I ate what I could, I played with the animals like one of them, and maybe I got a bit of a childhood, albeit a lonely one, far away from humans. Every night it seemed ships docked in the harbour, old and wrecked with no-one aboard, the next day they'd disappear and I'd be left puzzled. I soon came to the conclusion ghosts really did exist.

After a year, When i turned 7, and i counted the days through the moon and the sun. Or the darkness and the light. I left the island, escorted by a friendly Seaking, I made my way to whatever island i would land on. I was about to get a very cold chill from it that was for sure.

When i arrived, I instantly recognised the cold and nippy snow and immediately ran for whatever shelter I could. I guessed it wasn't the coldest island, or it was summer there because the shoreline wasn't completely iced over, there were just a couple of places with frozen sea water and that was it.

I ran for the nearest shelter and lived a few cold days on the streets when everything started to fall into place. Not long after arriving, i recognised a picture of me, scruffy and young looking pinned up all over the city, with an overly long list of reasons for my capture and be being wanted dead or alive. I met Aokiji. He was standing up, and asleep near the shed I was hiding in. Me being naive and not actually knowing who he was t the time, I poked him in the leg repeatedly until he woke up and looked at me. he noticed who I was and wanted my name. I just gave him the name Coral and since then it's stuck.

"Who're you?" I asked, completely unaware of the answer i was going to receive.

"Aokiji. Of the marines. You're Coral. or so you say. You're heavily wanted, by the way" HE said, I think he might have noticed, I was actually a lot younger than they portrayed me as. "What did you do wrong?" He asked, pointing to the posters on the side of the shed.

"Had my own opinions, and didn't fight back particularly. I smiled, I laughed and attempted to survive. I was sarcastic and I ran from fate. Enough said." I said.

"Sometimes, I think I want to disagree with the marines. They control the man eaters, correct?"

"The Five Elder Stars and just below them. They can all control us directly, or _them_ they're not free of will. They're people who let themselves be controlled by those with malicious intentions. What should be a family to me, are murderous with a license to kill. And that, even at my age, is something I can never agree with" She replied callously, loosing her smile, but gaining a somewhat confident charm while she was at it.

"You do have strong opinions. Although i guess, the marines will never allow you to join. Will they? Not even side with them" He asked. I think he might have been curious, maybe about how strong I was. because what he did next was certainly unexpected. "So." He said, smacking me across the face. "Fight me. They say you're good. They say you're strong. IF you beat me. I wont eradicate you of the map, same if you draw, in fact if you even have the guts to fight me i might-" I wasn't going to stand for the dreary man's talk anymore and I spun round and knocked him clean over with a clear hit to the front of the knees. I was actually trying to break his kneecaps, but it soon occurred to me that it wasn't likely.

He tried to freeze me but couldn't "Sucker" I said, snapping back. I wasn't about to tell him much about me. To be fair, i could have been called a tramp in ragged clothes, a young tramp, but still, a tramp.

"The powers don't work." He said, he kneeled, as if to look me in the eyes, he was twice my height, at least, almost. "You're strong. Not sure how. not sure why they don't work. not even sure why this has happened. But you've gained my respect. I think i have established, you're only fighting for a life that people don't seem to want to give you, but I'll give you a chance here and now. I will look after you. Don't worry" I was dumbfounded. Completely and utterly. I had nothing to say to his words, hell, I hardly knew what he was on about. I might have spoken in rather complex language for my age but in no way shape or form did I _really_ get what he was saying.

He soon disappeared and I was left once again to the loneliness of my cold damp shed. Which I have to add, replaying that sentence in my mind sounds really quite funny. A day later and i was foodless, starving hungry, I hadn't had a drink for a couple of days, and I decided enough was enough i was nicking an apple. However, once I'd got one, I got caught immediately, not by the stall owner, who was too old to even see, from what i gathered, but a female woman who reminded me a lot of black widow. although I didn't pay attention too it. if it was black widow I knew i would have been dead by that point. She showed me into a house and started to talk.

"Stealing an apple? Hard woman" She joked. "Do you understand the circumstances you're under? you are wanted." She said. My initial impression and thoughts where 'Do I look like I really give a shit right now?' but i didn't think she could read my mind or that from my expression because I was grinning sheepishly.

"I don't know. I'm in a position, which is seemingly bad. I guess. I'm not too bothered. i can keep on the run. I think" I said.

"Well, you'll stare." She replied. "I've got a damn good job offer and its not for a brothel either. Look, I'm one of the heads of this place, it deals in assassinations and illegal trades what do you say to that? you're already down for more things than we do already." She spoke fast but she was still easy enough to hear, i didn't want to be part of anything to do with murder, and that was probably obvious from my face and she noticed, as she paused before continuing after it.

"I don't know. No assassinations." I said. "I'm not killing someone for someone else's benefit. otherwise, talk me to this place, I'm surprisingly interested." I said, she stood up.

"Follow me" she said leading me through a heavy iron door and into a dark hallway.

"Well well Nico, brought another victim?" Came a voice from beyond the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5:What's a job without

Disclaimer: One piece Belongs to Oda, Coral is mine though :D Enjoy :D

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**Chapter 5: What's a job without something Illegal?**

**  
**I looked out, and squinted my eyes, finally Nico Robin lit a torch and I could see a large, overly dressed man. He raised his eyebrows at Nico Robin before snorting. "What's with the runt? She's a bit shaggy, looks like a fuckin' misfit to me" He said, sneering.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, if i was a cat, I would have hissed at him at that point, but I just smiled. "Sorry to disappoint, sir, but i think you'll find I'm not as weak as I look" I said, I wasn't shaking, I wasn't scared. I was a little dubious, because from what I could gather, he didn't have a devil fruit power.

The man grunted. "Nico Robin, what's her name?" He asked. "I have seen that face before"

"I believe she told Aokiji of the marines that it was 'Coral' Correct?" Robin said, rather callously.

"I did." She said. There was a distinct look of horror on the mans face.

"Let me get this straight, if you're a _highly_ wanted pirate, then _why_ didn't h kill you?" He asked looking down on me again.

"Because he didn't appear to have the skills to" Robin answered. "He resorts to Ice a lot, but she didn't freeze, nor flinch. She's quite special sir"

"I see. Well, let her prove herself, she's to infiltrate the marine base on this island and bring back the contents of the treasury, she fails she gets hurt." He said, turning his back and walking off.

"He could have told me that _without_ telling you that first" I snorted

"He could. But I doubt he likes the idea of a _wanted child_ within his organisation, doing the dirty work or watching it, he'd rather you dug tunnels so he could have more coal, come now, lets get you some clean clothes" Robin spoke.

"You sound like a mother might" I said,

"I'm hardly a mother, I'm only 16" She said, walking away and signalling me to follow her,, I got the feeling I had no choice, so I just went.

"I don't like the look of this." I said I was getting increasingly more dubious, but if they promised me food, I was sold. I didn't know what was about to hit me. To be honest, I really wish I did. We walked up a long, dark stairwell and eventually reached what i assumed was one of the top floors. She showed me to more of a room than I'd ever seen.

"here you go." Robin signalled. "It isn't very big. I hope you'll enjoy working with us" She said, before leaving and walking back down the stairwell. I just thought, that maybe, although it wasn't very big to them, it was like a damned castle to me. The room only contained a bed, desk and a wardrobe, all cramped in together, there was hardly any room to move and it was a very rectangular room. The bed touched wall to wall and stopped by the door, the desk was positioned behind the wardrobe which was pretty much in front of the door. I just walked in to find a note on what i assumed was my new desk. It read;

_"Welcome Coral. We think you will be a worthy investment. Now onto business. You might be young, but you appear to be very intelligent, much like our Nico Robin here. I have a very interesting job for you to start off with. It's not dangerous really, do not worry. But first the ground rules and I'll put them very bluntly:  
You cock anything up. And you wont know what hit you._

_Your mission is the following:_

_Infiltrate the marine base on this island and retrieve the contents of the treasury. _

_That is all. And enjoy the clothes"_

I had to say, at this point I was partially dumbfounded and the word 'Shit what have I gotten myself into' Spun around in my head. But I didn't want to back out now. I walked towards the wardrobe, and I was shocked to see so many clothes. There was one thing about them that i was very glad about; most of the clothes where trousers and shirts or tops, not dresses. I picked out some simple, black trousers, a black camisole top, and pit a black bandanna around my red hair. i wasn't waiting for orders, so I just jumped out of the window, somehow landing without an injury ad ran off in the direction of the marine base. Which looked surprisingly like a prison.

Infiltrating the base wasn't too hard, so I became a little worried about what i might find inside. The place was deserted. So I just walked around and looked for a room that read treasury.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you"

-------

"Do you think she went to the correct base?" Robin said to the man. As they sat eating a hearty meal.

"I think she did, but I think she'll die. She's too weak and naive!" he laughed, as if he was laughing at her.

"I think you're wrong sir" Robin said, he scrunched up his face and grunted. "she's not as weak as we think, if she was, well she wouldn't be alive would she?"

"I don't know, she could just have some uncanny luck" He spoke quite calmly. "She'll still get a beating when she comes back, treasure or not."

"Why sir"

"Because she didn't report to me first! That's why! "

"you failed to tell her that sir" Robin said.

"OH did I? Who cares about that!" He cackled "I _hate_ strong women, you know that all too well Nico Robin. But as you're a lady, I wont take it out on _you_ anymore. I'll make her feel agony"

"Sir, that's pretty disgusting" Robin snorted getting up and leaving the room. She felt some sort of attachment to the girl. Even though she'd only just met her, Cora reminded Robin of herself. And Robin didn't want her to be hurt like she was, although she got the picture that she already had. _'he's just scared of her'_ Robin thought. _'he's always scared of the strong ones with their own minds, he is an Ex-_

_marine after all.'_

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_Hope you enjoyed, please review :3 _


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